New Ulm weekly review., 1887-10-05
E,S AND o 3

slt was g very little house, poor, un-
painted altogether out Of place in q
street which had such growing preten-
sions to fashion as Cyclamen avenue,
which had recently been redeemed
from the waste places Of the earth and
made to blossom as the rose with
pretty ylaWn-girdle led, vines -draped VIII
las. The inmates OF these stylish res
licences were won't to denominate the
little house q shanty, and it's owner,
a agrasping old witch, who was waiting
till the exasperated neighbors would
pay her six times the worth OF her
property. Aristocratic souls reVolted
at their close proximity to a creature
SO lost to allssense OF propriety as to
grow cabbage in her door-yard, and
to adorn the flower beds thereof with
clam shells. / myself was one of Mrs.
Mulvany's most clamorous detrac
tors, until / read the chapter which
her life made IN
"The short and simple annals Of
the poor
lived at some distance from the
Objectionable little cottage, but fre-
qucntly had occasion to pass it, and
never did so without casting coyet-
Gus glance at the mingled glOries of
the mille-feurs and mignonette, sweet
alyssum, myosotis and Dansies, which
aanked the obnoxious cabbages. One
lovely June morning as walked by
with lingering step and glance I heard
myself called.
'Miss! Miss!'
Now as / am a matron of several
years standing, it is needless to say
Twas hettered by this appel alton, and,
pausing, turned a beaming face upon
the speaker. AS might be expected in
the proprietor OF such a tumbledown
little house, she WAS dilapidated lit.
tie woman, very lame, and with the
scar Of a frightful burn disfgurlng her
cheek and neck. One eye was swollen
nearly shut; but this. it was easy to
perceive, was a mere temporary
blemish. She wore a no.colored cali
co dress, and her hair, once golden,
but now faded and gray, was loosely
knotted at the back of her neck.
eye break the tinth commandment
Nery time We 60 BY" she said pleas
antly; SAN this time I want ye to
have flowers. Came iii an help yer
| SELF lake all We want"
thanked her, entered the garden
willingly and gathered the buds and
blossoms as sparingly as she would
| let me. ....
Your flowers must be a great de-.
light to you," I said presently.
'They're all the comfort I've had
for 10 years" replied Mrs. Mulvany.
/ looked at her blankly-I, who
constantly bore in mind Cleopatra's
There's not d minute OF our lives should
| Without some pleasure now"
Here was a woman to whom pleas
ure had been q stranger for ten
years.!
"Oh, dear! Pm sorry for vou," /
said. s'Haye you had an unhappy
lite?"
t'Sit down here an wrap up yer
posies, or they'll wilt before ye get
home" returned Mrs. Mulvany,
''and III tell we me history if ye like"
OF course was anxious to hear it,
and when she had brought me a news
paper and I had sprinkled the flowers
with water we sat down on the door
steps. A trellis covered with grape
. vine sheltered us from the sun, and
through it a flagree OF light and shade
f1uttered over my white dress.
'There's two things been agin me
all me life," said Mrs. Mulvany, im-
pressively. "Have ye niver seen dogs
they're yellow ones mostly-wid an
eye clawed out or an ear chewed of,
an but a stump av q tail, an wan
leg gone, an maybe the hide scalded
off wild hot wather? livery one has q
stone or curse tor the poor crayture,
an the longer it lives the more wretch
ed it gifts. That's how it's been wild
me; for there's two things been agin
me, as I said."
eyes" said l, deeply interested, "and
what are they?"
Bad luck and whiskey!" she an
swered promptly. 'Wan alone is bad
enough, but when ye have to fight the
two We might as well give it up. Not
that drink whiskey meeself. No; l
say nothin' ,agin beer, an don't
think a pint av it after hard days
washin' will hurt any woman; but I've
let whlskey alone It's me men folks
whiskey's played the mischief wild;
first me father: then Larry, an now
Mickey. 1t always seemed as if the
only reason they iver got out av bed
sober was so they cud go, to bed
drunk"
"How dreadful murmured
'Me father" said Mrs. Mulvany,
with emphasis, twas the divil and
ALL" She paused to let this startling
statement have due weight. then ne.
sumed: "We lived near Lewisto
know the placer"
knew it we'll lovely village by
the broad Niagara river.
u had three younger sisters, an
whin we were childer," continued Mrs.
Mulyany. 'sthere was niver enough to
eat nor to wear III our house,. we had
nothin' in plenty except blows an
hard words. An about wanst livery
six weeks theyear round the ould sim
, ner, me father, would turn. us out,
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